Finding Your Balance

The Warlord exploded, his anger surging from seemingly out of nowhere as he bellowed and all but sprung to his paws, which immediately gave out under his injuries. Artorias had not been harmed, merely knocked aside from the sudden movement, watching with guarded eyes while Sirius tried and failed to get up, eventually devolving into shaking on the snow. He got to his feet alongside Sirius, much more successfully this second attempt, and watched him with doubt in his eyes. He didn't believe that, not for a second. If there was one thing to be said for Art, the boy was tenacious to a fault and bore no heed to any dangers when it came to his loved ones. The courageous boy stepped closer to the shaking dire wolf until he was standing right in front of him, fixing him with a disheartened look.

"She didn't leave you," he corrected Sirius, reaching with a paw towards the older wolf's chest. "She's here. Just because you can't see her out here doesn't mean she's gone. The same way Resin's gonna be in here for me." He gestured with the same paw to his own heart, refusing to give up on Sirius, despite how obvious it was the Warlord had already given up on himself. "I've seen you at peace. I know what you're saying isn't true. I saw you laughing and smiling and playing with us all when we were pups down on the plains. Briar's told me stories about how you used to toss her in the air and snuggle her when she was littler, how your eyes would go soft every time you looked at her and her siblings. You can say there's no peace for you, but I've seen it."

His nose wrinkled up as he addressed another qualm with the Warlord's terse and shortsighted statement. "And what do you mean 'men like you'? You mean loving fathers devoted to their children? Or do you mean admirable alphas who keep their wolves safe day in and day out? Or was it the caring friend that took my mother in when she was at her lowest and turned her into the strongest wolf I know? Please tell me, so I know exactly what kind of man I shouldn't be."


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"